


24 Hours

by serviceace



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Police, Corpses, Detective Iwaizumi, Graphic Description of Corpses, Kidnapping, M/M, Main Pairings: IwaOi; KuroTsuki, Pro Volleyball Player Oikawa Tooru, Serial Killers, Side Pairings: DaiSuga; MatsuHana; BokuAka, dark themes, death mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:18:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11639706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serviceace/pseuds/serviceace
Summary: Iwaizumi, a special investigations agent, finds himself falling in love with someone who may already be dead.





	1. Debriefing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [oiivkawa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oiivkawa/gifts).



> _Yikes_ this is going to be a doozy. If you ever wanted a fast-pace, high-intensity Police!AU that involves serial killers, bodies, and frantic lab work, this is the fic for you. There is no character death though, don't worry. I'm too much of a coward to actually kill anyone we care about so rest assured. There will be some heavy themes in this fic though but I've made sure to add the tags to hopefully not trigger anyone. More tags will be added as the fic evolves however so please keep that in mind. Big s/o to Bones, my favorite crime-drama, for the inspiration.
> 
> I have been wanting to write this story for _years_ and I mean _years_ lmao. I finally got the motivation to do it after meeting Lubna [@oiivkawa](oiivkawa.tumblr.com), for whom the fic is gifted to. Lubna, thank you for being a constant inspiration to me both in Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. You're amazing, talented, beautiful, and I'm so happy to have met you. You inspire me every day and I hope that one day, I can be even half as amazing as you are. I love you (but also fuck you for all the RoD spoilers, I'M GOING TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD YOU'LL SEE) <3
> 
> As with everything I write, this is completely unedited because that's how we roll ~

“Give it to me!”

Following the volleyball’s movements with his eyes, Iwaizumi crouched at the ready. _“The receive was a bit off, but Akaashi has always been good at recovering.”_ He could see Akaashi quietly analyzing the situation over on the other side of the net, calculating the best course of action, and smirked in anticipation. _“In a situation like this, Bokuto is definitely going to go for what he’s best at, a straight along the line!”_ The wing spiker pivoted to his left and rushed forward, stopping in place and waiting for Kuroo’s call.

“Spread out the block!” Kuroo rallied in response. “Get ready! If there’s even a small chance, it’ll get through!”

Iwaizumi jumped, propelling himself upwards with his arms out for the block. Concentrating his strength into his fingers so he wasn’t blown back, he braced himself. Bokuto was strong, ridiculously strong, and while he knew he didn’t have the blocking prowess that Kuroo did, he definitely would not back down. _“Here it comes!”_

Just as Bokuto was about to slam his palm downwards and attack, the gym door was thrown opened, and the sound of the door colliding with the wall behind it cut through the air. Ukai Ikkei, their chief-of-police, did _not_ look happy. He crossed his arms, a very noticeable vein protruding from his temple, and raised his voice. “What the hell are you all doing?! Did you not hear the announcement?! Get to the debriefing room!” He clicked his tongue impatiently and glared at everyone one last time before turning around to leave. “Stop messing around and get back to work, you brats!” He made it out the door before shouting another command. “And make sure to clean up the damn gym too!”

Abandoning the game almost immediately, everyone hurriedly began putting things away and cleaning up the gym, not wanting to face their commander’s impending wrath. Iwaizumi definitely didn’t need to be told twice; he sprinted towards the closet to fetch the mops while the others did their part and took down the nets. They cleaned as fast as they could, toweled off their sweat, changed out of their gym clothes, and all made a beeline for the debriefing room just as their leader instructed. Once everyone settled in, Iwaizumi reached up to straighten out his tie, and swept his eyes from left to right, briefly scanning the faces of his unit before returning his attention to the commissioner. “What’s this about, Ukai-san?”

Ukai Sr. placed a hand on his hip and held up a file for everyone to see. “Five years ago, Tenko Sozen was abducted in an unsolved case. His family reported him missing immediately but even though we did the best we could, we weren’t able to find his body.” He shook his head in dismay, his brows furrowing sadly. “He was just a kid; young, bright, and eager. He would have been twelve this year.”

Although he had joined the force straight out of college as a new recruit and felt as though he was ready for a job like this, Iwaizumi honestly hated cases when children were involved. He had seen his fair share of bloodshed and murder but when children were involved? That was the _worst_. Those kinds of cases hit him harder than most because he was ultimately a realist and more often than not, abducted children ended up dead. Children weren’t supposed to die, not before adults anyway, and this particular case destroyed him. _“I’m sorry Sozen,”_ Iwaizumi thought. _“If only I could have saved you.”_ It was one of the very first cases he was assigned to upon graduating and although he gave it everything he had, they still couldn’t find him. They were forced to leave it unsolved once the trail ran cold and Iwaizumi honestly could still remember the grief-stricken look on Sozen’s parents when Iwaizumi told them of their ill-progress, a memory he didn’t think he could ever shake.

Studying his best friend silently, Kuroo could see the tension in Iwaizumi’s shoulders. They had been friends for years and knew each other well, having been roommates in college as two hopefuls. Upon graduating, they each went their separate ways until Iwaizumi approached him a few years ago to recruit him into his team. Like Iwaizumi, he had seen his fair share of death – being a coroner was never pretty after all – and after accepting Iwaizumi’s offer, he now headed the labs as their resident forensic pathologist. “It’s okay,” Kuroo comforted, his voice low and serious as he reached out to wrap an arm around Iwaizumi. He brought their heads together and leaned his temple against Iwaizumi’s.  “We’ll get him one day.”

Iwaizumi nodded solemnly in reply. “That fucker is going to rot in hell for the rest of his life. I’ll make sure of it.”

The commissioner shuffled through some folders and brought everyone’s attention to a new file that he held up. “Nearly a year after Tenko Sozen’s case went cold, there was another reported incident – a teenaged girl by the name of Yuhara Misao – who was kidnapped one night while out with her friends. She’s the daughter of Yuhara Mio and Yuhara Tatsuhiko, the well-known founders of Yuhara Electronics, and Shimizu, if you would.”

“The kidnapper demanded a ransom with a digitally-altered voice,” Shimizu supplied, looking through the case files in front of her. “They demanded millions upon millions of yen in exchange for their daughter’s life and gave them a 24-hour window in which the ransom had to be paid. The kidnapper told them that if they did not pay the ransom, she would die. As you all know, the TMPD has a policy _not_ to pay ransoms and although those in charge of the case followed as many leads as they could and interviewed as many people as they could, they were unable to determine Yuhara Misao’s location. Because of this, her parents were forced to pay the ransom in full and true to the kidnapper’s word, Yuhara Misao was released.”  

Sugawara, their interrogator, then cut in to speak. “After checking her for injuries and miraculously finding nothing major except a few cuts and bruises, the TMPD spoke to the victim after the kidnapping. It says here in the case files that she told us that she was attacked after reading a text from who she thought was from her friend but because of that, Yuhara’s attention had been diverted long enough for the kidnapper to subdue her. The TMPD followed up on that supposed friend but came up with nothing concrete as we later found out that they did _not_ send the text and it was in fact, from the kidnapper instead.” Sugawara sighed and shook his head. “It says here that the communications team hacked into the phone’s history and attempted to track the messages but the kidnapper must have known they’d try to trace it because the phone short-circuited and detonated to the point of it being unusable shortly after.”

“It was logically concluded that the text was most likely sent from a burner phone and that the kidnapper may also be extremely tech-savvy due to the controlled detonation of the phone. Either that, or they’re working with an outside source.” Sawamura, Sugawara’s partner, shuffled through the case files and pulled out a USB titled YM – 03. “This is the interview here with all the details from Yuhara herself.”

“The Yuhara Case was not the only one that ended with the ransoms being paid,” Ukai continued. Laying out four more folders filled with files, the old man gruffly pointed a finger at each of the victims’ photos. “Amegaki Hiroshi, Hanamura Yoshitaka, and twin sisters, Nakano Romi and Rumi, were all kidnapped in some similar manner and were subsequently released when their ransoms were paid.”

Shimizu stood up and quickly began distributing a series of case files around the room with Yachi doing the same on the other side. “All victims belonged to well-known families and it appears the kidnapper adjusts the ransom demand based on how much the family can afford. We understand that this is how the kidnapper picks their victims and they are no _real_ connections between them – the kidnapper simply goes where the money takes them.” She then gestured to the photos just as Ukai had done. “We understand that the kidnapper does not solely pick their victims based on age or gender as all affected victims were of many different genders from ages 8 to 24.”

Kuroo hummed thoughtfully as he began looking through several case files, flipping through them quickly but efficiently. His eyes swept from left to right, skimming through the recorded information and photographs taken by the forensic team. “It says here that there were traces of lead, carbon, benzine, and various aldehydes found on each of the victims’ clothing…” He let out another hum, making a mental note for later, and frowned as if disturbed. _“Engine exhaust, maybe? I’ll have to look at the particulates.”_

“Ukai-san,” Iwaizumi called. “What’s this all about?”

The chief looked at his leading detective with grave eyes, knowing full-well how affected Iwaizumi had been by it. “I’m re-opening up Tenko Sozen’s case. We have reason to believe that the kidnapper involved in this case and the one from the previously mentioned cases may be one in the same. The mannerisms in which they handled these situations are all too similar to be coincidental.”

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Is this circumstantial evidence or do we actually have something concrete?”

“It’s too soon to tell,” Ukai admitted. Truth be told, the old man felt unfair for doing this to Iwaizumi – he after all had been here from the very beginning. He had seen Iwaizumi pour his entire heart and soul over Sozen’s investigation. He had seen how little Iwaizumi had slept during the whole ordeal, how often Iwaizumi vented his frustrations by leveling the punching bags in the gym, and how broken he was at the thought of being unable to save Sozen.  It was a risky move to re-open the case like this, especially with Sozen’s case having been declared cold all those years ago, but it was a risk he knew he _had_ to take. “I know I can trust you all to solve this case.”

“And this is everything we have? All the interviews and evidence from the victims themselves to the families and people involved?” Iwaizumi asked, standing to his feet.

“Yes, and you’ll have access to whatever else you need to solve this case.”

Iwaizumi didn’t even miss a beat, immediately turning towards his team, and taking charge. “Here’s the plan,” he began. “Kuroo, I want you and Tsukishima to head back to the labs. I’ll have all the clothes the victims were wearing at the time of their kidnapping sent to you for you guys to study as well as their medical examinations. When you’ve got something, take it to Kenma and have him reconstruct the crime scenes from the testimonies they’ve all given.”

Kuroo gave him a two-finger salute. “You got it.”

“Sugawara, Sawamura, you guys are up next,” Iwaizumi then called. “Contact the victims and have them come in for another interview. I want to make sure everything lines up with what we have on file. Have them recount the day of their kidnapping and make sure they leave nothing out. I want to know what they were doing, who they were with, what happened… I want it all on tape and dated. Find the links, connect them, and report to me when you’re done.”

“Understood,” Sawamura answered.

“Bokuto, Akaashi, I want you to guys to go over the photos of the crime scenes. Find any inaccuracies if there are any, study the blood stains, splatters, injuries, cuts, and anything else that could suggest a possible weapon used by the kidnapper during these attacks. If you find anything, take it to Kenma and have him digitally reconstruct the weapon.” Bokuto flashed him a thumbs-up in understanding so Iwaizumi then turned to the girls. “Shimizu, Yachi, get a search warrant for us and cross reference everyone’s findings. If there’s really a connection between all these cases, I want all the facts.”

Reaching up to tuck a log of hair behind her hair, Shimizu nodded swiftly. “We’ll have everything ready as soon as possible.”

Iwaizumi stood to his feet. “Let’s bring him home.”

 

* * *

 

After the meeting, everyone filed out quickly, all too determined to get to work on Sozen’s case. Kuroo took to the labs, already on the phone and requesting for everything to be sent to the lab. Sawamura, Sugawara, Bokuto, and Akaashi left in direction of the archive room while Shimizu and Yachi made their way to the offices. Iwaizumi on the other hand left the station completely to tend to his own task of speaking to Sozen’s parents.

The drive there was done in moderate silence and to be honest, Iwaizumi didn’t even bother turning on the radio. And as he stood outside the Tenko residence, a feeling of dread hung low in his stomach. He felt anxious, apprehensive even, at the thought of seeing Sozen’s parents again. He was terrified but could anyone blame him? He wasn’t sure how they’d react to seeing after so many years _especially_ since he failed to find their son (and his killer). He desperately hoped his sudden appearance wouldn’t trigger them in any way or give them some sort of false hope. _“I probably should have called first,”_ the detective thought, suddenly feeling like an ass.

He stood there for what seemed like hours before sighing and shaking his head. _“I need to stop wasting time.”_ Iwaizumi reached out and rang the doorbell, that sinking feeling enveloping him once more as he waited for Sozen’s parents to emerge from the house. He respectively waited by the gates, his hands clasped behind, with his back ramrod straight and shoulders taut. _“Deep breaths, Hajime.”_ When Tenko-san answered, Iwaizumi hung his head and bowed lowly. “Raizen-san, I’m sorry for coming by unannounced.”

It was quiet before, “Hajime? Is that you?”

Iwaizumi looked up, his eyes connecting with that of honest brown. His gaze softened immediately at the sight of Sozen’s father as a small smile made its way onto his face. “Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry for coming by unannounced.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re always welcomed here,” Raizen said kindly, already making his way towards him to open the gate.

Iwaizumi smiled again once the gate opened. “I was wondering if I could come in? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you and Sumirin-san.” When Raizen admonished him for not needing to be so polite and that he was always welcomed to visit, Iwaizumi felt lighter. He was quickly ushered inside and when his gaze fell upon Sozen’s mother, she took him into her arms, hugging him tightly as if he were her own son.

“Hajime, it’s been so long,” Sumirin greeted warmly. “It’s good to see you.”

He hugged her back easily. “It has. I hope you’ve been well.” They exchanged a few words and updated one another about different aspects of their lives, Raizen even disappearing for a bit to fetch them all tea, until Iwaizumi took a deep breath and folded his hands together. “There’s a reason why I’m here.”

Raizen’s brows furrowed almost immediately. “It’s about Sozen, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Iwaizumi replied. “We’re re-opening the case.” He watched as they visibly tensed in front of him, Raizen moving to take Sumirin’s hand in his, and frowned apologetically. “We have reason to believe that the kidnapper involved in Sozen’s case may have also been involved in several other cases.”

“Were you able to find anything?” Sumirin asked, leaning forward slightly.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I’m not at liberty to say yet.”

“Why now?”

“We have probable cause,” Iwaizumi explained. “The mannerisms in which the kidnapper handled these cases are all too similar to ignore.” Moving to place his hand over Sumirin’s, his face turned kind. “If you’ll let us, we’d like to officially re-open the case and bring your son home.”

Raizen and Sumirin shared an uncertain look and honestly, Iwaizumi didn’t blame them. The case had been cold for a few years now with no new evidence; things probably looked really bleak at this point. Still, he was confident that he and his team could solve this case. They were after all, the best of the best, head-hunted and hand-picked by Iwaizumi himself.

“My team is already hard at work trying to find the connections between everything and you can be sure that they _will_.”

Sozen’s parents silently conversed, searching for something within each other’s eyes, until ultimately, Raizen nodded solemnly. “What can we do to help?”

“Start from the beginning and tell me everything you know. I want to start fresh and look at this investigation with new eyes. Leave nothing out, no matter how insignificant it might seem, and to your best ability, relay the events that happened on the day of Sozen’s abduction,” Iwaizumi instructed.

“It was like any other day really,” Sumirin began, reaching up to clutch at the locket around her neck. “We were getting ready to go out for the day; Sozen wanted to go to the park and try out the new swings that just got installed. It must have been in the afternoon when it happened.” Her fingers tightened. “We were just about to leave when I went back in the house to get some snacks for Sozen… What if he got hungry, you know? I didn’t want him to get hungry… I told him to wait by the garage. I thought it’d be fine since the garage isn’t too far from the front door but when I went back outside, he was gone.”

Although this wasn’t the first time he had heard this story, Iwaizumi’s heart still ached. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard things must have been for them. No parent should ever lose a child, it was just wrong. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. She took another deep breath and began recounting more of what she remembered but as Iwaizumi listened to her, he couldn’t bring himself to look away from her tear-stricken face. _“We’ll find him, I swear it.”_

 

* * *

 

It was late at night when Iwaizumi got home and to be honest, he was pretty tired. He had stayed at Sozen’s residence a lot longer than he had originally intended, wanting to get as much information as he could. Sozen’s parents even offered him dinner but he politely declined and told them that he would next time and that he really should be getting leaving.  

“I’m home,” the detective called out. Instead of crouching down to remove his shoes neatly, he kicked them off individually and nudged them into place by the front door. All the lights had been turned off saved for the desk light by the couch in the living room. “You’re still up?” Iwaizumi asked, spying the familiar head of black hair.

Kuroo offered him a small smile as he shrugged lazily. “I couldn’t sleep.” Returning his attention back to the notes in front of him, the scientist absentmindedly nodded his head over at the kitchen. “There’s leftover pizza for you if you want.”

“Weren’t you in charge of dinner?” Iwaizumi laughed, making his way over to the pizza box on the counter to get himself some pizza.

“Are you not eating dinner?”

“Fair enough.” Nudging Kuroo over with his knee, Iwaizumi collapsed onto the couch beside him and laid his head back against Kuroo’s thigh, eating his pizza. “So, how’d things go on your end?”

“Tsukki and I found trace elements of aluminum and magnesium on each of the victims’ clothing which I thought was rather odd. You wouldn’t find that kind of stuff unless they were held in some sort of freezer or something. Anyway, I didn’t think about it too much just yet until I then found _more_ amounts of lead, carbon, benzine, and various aldehydes across all the victims. It seems as though they really did have a run-in with the same things.”

Iwaizumi was silent for a moment as he put two and two together. “Engine exhaust?”

“Bingo. That’s right,” Kuroo confirmed. “Anyway, we cross-referenced our findings with that of the interrogations team and found that every one of the victims was alone when they were kidnapped. Nobody saw them leave and nobody saw them being taken. It makes me think they were all nabbed in some sort of parking lot or something. Either that or at least somewhere without any cameras or witnesses.”

 _“Parking lot?”_ The detective parroted mentally. _“Engine exhaust?”_ Putting two and two together, Iwaizumi’s eyes grew wide as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Throwing his pizza onto the table and boosting himself upwards, Iwaizumi frantically grabbed at Kuroo’s shoulders, spinning him around to face him. “What about a garage? Could someone have been taken near a garage?”

“Yeah? I’d say it’s quite possible.” Kuroo then narrowed his eyes at his friend suspiciously. “What are you thinking?”

“Sozen was taken right outside his garage,” Iwaizumi told him gravely. “It happened right under his parents’ noses but he was definitely near a car when it happened. If these cases are connecting, we should find engine exhaust on him too.” Reaching for Kuroo’s notes, he scanned the faces of the other four victims and frowned. “That connection that Ukai-san was talking about? I think we might be onto something.”

Furrowing his brows, Kuroo retook back his notes and laid them all out in front of them on the coffee table. “Alright, let’s start from the beginning.” He brought a red pen to his mouth and uncapped it with his teeth, chewing on it slightly. “Five years ago, Tenko Sozen was abducted.” Circling Sozen’s picture, he drew a line and connected it to Yuhara.

“And then a year later, Yuhara Misao is kidnapped,” Iwaizumi continued, pointing a finger at Yuhara’s picture. “Across three more years, Amegaki Hiroshi, Hanamura Yoshitaka, and twin sisters, Nakano Romi and Rumi, are all kidnapped.” The detective hummed thoughtfully. “And you said you found engine exhaust on Yuhara’s clothes, right? As well as the others?” At Kuroo’s nod, Iwaizumi moved his finger over to Amegaki. “Can you show me where you found the engine exhaust on Amegaki? And then on the others as well?” Once Kuroo circled the aforementioned sections, Iwaizumi’s brows furrowed. “What were their reported injuries again?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary: cuts, scrapes, and bruises – typical of what you’d see if someone was taken.”

“But _how_ did the kidnapper even get to them? He must have incapacitated them somehow,” Iwaizumi admonished, his tone slightly aggressive. “There’s nothing in these files that suggested a weapon was used to subdue them but I _know_ there had to be one. People don’t just get taken, not without force anyway. There has to be something they missed.” Times like these made Iwaizumi _wish_ he had been assigned these cases – if he had been at the helm, he wouldn’t have done such a messy job.

Running a hand through his hair, Kuroo clicked his tongue regretfully. “You’ll have to check with Akaashi and the rest of the forensic team but without a body, I can’t _physically_ confirm anything.” He sighed and gripped his pen, visibly frustrated. “I need to get back to my lab.”

Iwaizumi fell silent at that as he turned his attention back to Sozen’s picture. Picking it up with gentle fingers, he studied Sozen’s face. He was laughing in the picture, his eyes closed in absolute joy, and was posing for the camera like kids always seemed to do. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered Sumirin telling him that Sozen loved the camera. _“I’m sorry I never got to meet you,”_ Iwaizumi thought sadly. Running a padded thumb along the curve of Sozen’s face, Iwaizumi’s voice turned soft. “I’m going to find you, I promise.”


	2. Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why is there only one?"

“Nice try, Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima commented dryly.

Kuroo scowled, his brows crinkling in annoyance. “I almost had him!”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he cradled his supervisor’s head delicately in his lap and applied pressure to Kuroo’s nose which was currently bleeding from his earlier sparring match with Iwaizumi. “Yes, yes. I’m sure you got some good hits in,” he half-heartedly agreed. “Stay still, Kuroo-san.” When Kuroo opened his mouth to retort again, Tsukishima only pinched his bridge, drowning out the noise. “How about you rest for a bit, Kuroo-san?”

Over on the other side of the two, Akaashi hummed. “Kuroo-san lasted longer this time at least; a whole three seconds I believe.”

“Hey! Whose side are you guys on anyway?!”

Akaashi and Tsukishima shared a brief look before facing him, both sporting unimpressed looks. “Iwaizumi-san,” they both answered.

“I can’t believe this,” Kuroo groaned out in disbelief. His voice was slightly nasally since Tsukishima was pinching his nose but that didn’t stop him from trying to sit up. Ignoring Tsukishima’s loud protests of _“Kuroo-san!”_ , he shrugged the blond off and pointed a finger at Bokuto who was currently still sparring Iwaizumi. “Kick his ass, Bo!”

Iwaizumi smirked at his best friend’s outburst, his eyes darting immediately to the left to wiggle his eyebrows at Kuroo challengingly before a kick came flying towards him. Blocking Bokuto’s attack with his right arm, Iwaizumi stood his ground, practically digging his shoes into the padded floors beneath him. He then rushed forward, hunching down low and aiming down with a kick to Bokuto’s ankles, effectively swiping him off his feet. “What’s wrong, Bokuto?” The detective challenged as he watched him fall. “Giving up already?”

“No way!” Bokuto returned, using his hands to push off the ground and land back on his feet, he effectively boosted himself back up. Throwing punches left and right and dodging when needed, the blood splatter analyst seemed as though he had the upper hand but everyone knew not to underestimate Iwaizumi. Around them, everyone in the gym started chanting, cheering for whoever they wanted to win. It was always a spectacle whenever Bokuto and Iwaizumi fought – they just seemed to always attract a crowd. “I’m evening up the score, Iwaizumi! Just you wait!”

Sidestepping out of the way to avoid another incoming kick from Bokuto, Iwaizumi felt adrenaline pumping through his veins. There was always something about sparring with Bokuto that made his blood absolutely boil. They were both the strongest members of the Special Investigations Team and were usually the last remaining ones during the team’s high-intensity sparring sessions. Iwaizumi was just about to go for another punch when the one of the mounted TVs to his right roared.

_“And there’s Oikawa-kun with another service ace!”_

The detective looked towards the TV and although it was only for just a second, it was long enough for Bokuto to land a mean right hook against his cheek and send him bumbling backwards. With a curse, Iwaizumi held the back of his fist against his lip, already feeling like his lip had been cut. “Goddammit,” he swore, applying slight pressure to the wound.

“Who won?!” Bokuto asked, turning his eyes towards Sugawara who was currently refereeing.

Sugawara laughed. “You did.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, Bokuto let out a loud shout of _“Hell yeah!”_ and ran towards Akaashi, immediately crowding him and hovering around him excitedly. “Akaashi! Akaashi, did you see that?! Did you see me totally beat Iwaizumi just now?!”

“I did,” Akaashi answered, turning towards him. “You’re amazing, Bokuto-san.”

Flashing him a quick peace sign before laughing out loud pure-heartedly, Bokuto cheered and cheered. “I really am the best!”

Iwaizumi snorted but grinned a little too, rubbing the blood from his lip away. “Bokuto is so annoying,” he said. It was hard _not_ to laugh when Bokuto was around; there was just something about him that made both sides want to cheer for him. “Don’t let it get to your head!”

“He’s already got a big one,” Daichi chuckled, coming to stand beside him. He handed Iwaizumi a towel and crossed his arms amusingly, watching as the other members of team began to crowd around Bokuto to congratulate him on his win. Kuroo, whose nose looked like it had stopped bleeding, had an arm wrapped around Bokuto’s shoulders and was ruffling his hair while Akaashi smiled at him fondly. Tsukishima on the other hand was on the receiving end of Bokuto’s excitement, trying his best to mask his slightly annoyed expression at Bokuto’s chosen volume (which was of course, way too loud). “What a noisy bunch,” the interrogator laughed.

Chuckling alongside his friend, Iwaizumi wiped away the sweat on his skin and the smidge of blood at the corner of his mouth before tossing the towel back to the bench where the rest of his stuff was. “They really are,” he agreed affectionately. He looked up at the TV mounted on the wall beside him and frowned, “It looks like they lost the set.” He watched as Oikawa Tooru and the rest of his team made their way to the benches, their shoulders slightly taught and expressions hungry for more. “With the way things are going now, I imagine Kageyama will be put in. That rotation will give them more spikers to attack with and since Oikawa has a better serve, they’ll start him in the back. I bet Aone will get a turn too.”

Daichi’s face became amused at the further mention of Oikawa and he couldn’t help but clap a hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Maybe we should start showing more of Oikawa’s games on the TV whenever you hold sparring sessions; it might actually give others a chance against you.”

“Shut it,” Iwaizumi said with a roll of his eyes. Feeling the need to defend himself, he placed a hand on his hip and shifted his weight over onto his left foot.

"Oikawa's an amazing player," Iwaizumi argued. "He's a super aggressive setter with the ability to draw out the maximum potential of whatever team he's on. I'd say that's pretty incredible." The fact that Oikawa was able to pull 100% of his team’s true potential showed just how much of an incredible athlete he was. He didn't want to say he was a fan of Oikawa, but Iwaizumi definitely acknowledged Oikawa's abilities as a player. "I've heard he's very observant of his opponents and can effortlessly read the moves of others. And his jump serves? Absolutely _terrifying_."

"He certainly has a killer serve," Daichi hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder if I could even return it."

Watching as Oikawa started conversing with Ushijima, his wing spiker, Iwaizumi felt a sense of exhilaration in his bones. "I wonder what it's like to spike one of his tosses." Nothing against Sugawara and his tosses of course (which Iwaizumi loved spiking), there was just something about receiving a toss from Japan's star setter that excited him. He didn't have to wait long for a whistle sounded, causing both the Turkish and Japanese teams to file back onto the court. Japan's line-up was about the same with Oikawa starting in the back row but just as Iwaizumi had predicted, Kageyama, #9, joined the front row as another potential spiker. "Well, let's see just what Oikawa is going to do now."

Iwaizumi and Daichi waited to see Japan’s next play when the gym doors were thrown open and Yachi came sprinting through the entrance, her cheeks slightly flushed due to running. "Kuroo-san!" She called out, panting tiredly. "Kenma-san is done with the reconstruction! He sent me to come get you and the others. Shimizu-senpai is already there waiting."

And just like the day before, the members of the Special Investigations Team quickly put everything away, cleaning up after their sparring session. They disposed of the cushioned mats into the closets and untied the punching bags before making their way out of the gym towards the communications section of the police station where Kenma was located.

Kenma specialized in forensic reconstruction and was the team's most technological asset, able to both hack and simulate anything and everything form victims' faces, crime scenes, murder suspects, and even possible murder weapons. He was a quiet individual who often avoided peoples' gazes but Iwaizumi greatly respected him – anyone that grew up alongside Kuroo had to be strong in some way or another. He considered him a great addition to the team.

"Let's hope Kenma's found something," Iwaizumi muttered to himself.

The middle blocker gripped his shoulder confidently. "Don't worry, he always does."

 

* * *

 

To say he wasn't in absolute awe would be a lie but every time Iwaizumi set foot into Kenma's work station, he was always completely speechless and blown away. The police station was divided up into five sections: Kuroo's open-floor lab at the center, the archive room and main section over to the north, the gym and office spaces to the east and west, and then lastly, Kenma's headquarters in the south. It was a large space with a centralized real-time graphic simulator at the center and an imposing set of computers surrounding it. Kenma was always found hunched over in a chair with a tablet in his hands as he worked to reconstruct various scenarios, faces, or whatever else the team needed. Like Kuroo, he was extremely smart and practically built every one of these machines himself.

Once they all gathered together and took their respective seats, Kuroo nodded at his childhood friend, letting him know they were ready. "What have you got for us, Kenma?"

Kenma locked eyes with Kuroo briefly before looking back down in his lap where his tablet was. "We'll start with the first case, Tenko Sozen, age seven, was abducted five years ago. Based on the testimonies in the case files, this is what likely happened." Tapping at his tablet's screen to wake it up, he swiped his pointer finger to the right, sending the information to his graphic simulator and waiting for the hologram image to display. The software was incredible; intricately forming the figures and faces of the people involved and rending them in a smaller-scale for easier viewing.

"First, Tenko Sumirin goes back inside the house." As he spoke, a digital image of Sumirin formed and disappeared inside her house. "Tenko Raizen and Tenko Sozen are outside in the garage by the house." Like before, another series of images formed, and as Kenma recounted the events that occurred, everyone began feeling restless. Throughout all the scenarios that he reconstructed, the faceless figure of the kidnapper weighed heavily in everyone’s hearts.

Iwaizumi’s brows furrowed as he tensed uneasily. “Were you able to find the murder weapon?”

“That would imply the kidnapper wanted to kill their victims,” Kenma replied back smugly, not even missing a beat. “No, it’s just one, big game to them in which they’re the ones in control. If I remember correctly, not one of the victims had any visible puncture words or marks to suggest that they were forcibly taken, at least, not with any conventional weapons. Whoever this person is, they’re the crafty type.”

“That’s what we were afraid of,” Kuroo sighed, visibly frustrated. “We still don’t know how these victims were subdued.”

Bokuto crossed his arms thoughtfully and tilted his head. “They had to have been taken _somehow_ though. It doesn’t make sense that the kidnapper could just take them without anyone knowing. People scream, you know?” His voice grew quiet as he spoke, uncomfortable at the thought of literally no one witnessing these crimes. “Maybe they were gagged before they were attacked?”

“It’s a possibility,” Akaashi offered. “It could explain why no other witnesses were present.”

“In that case,” Tsukishima cut in, speaking for the first time since the meeting began. “We have to consider the possibility that the kidnapper isn’t working alone, that they may have an accomplice of sorts. It just doesn’t add up how they can both subdue a victim and then take them away without anyone knowing. Most of the victims were taken alone, yes, but what about the Nakano twins? How could the kidnapper have subdued one of them without the other fighting back? I don’t imagine they’d let themselves be taken quietly.”

Kenma swiped at the screen again, sending the images of all the victims to the holographic screen floating in front of them. “I don’t think anyone would.”

“No, they certainly wouldn’t,” Tsukishima agreed.

Everyone fell silent, all forming their own theories and ideas about the kind of criminal they were dealing with. Who was he? What did he want? Why was he doing this? Iwaizumi practically asked himself that every fucking time he got a case. He knew to keep himself at a distance when handling a case but this was getting personal. “We’re running out of time,” he said gravely. “The longer we take to figure this out, the farther away that asshole gets.”

 

* * *

  

The men’s volleyball team had just secured a win against Turkey and were all currently in the locker rooms packing up for the day. It wasn’t an easy game but they had managed to pull through, winning the game 3-2. It was sometime in the afternoon, maybe around four or so, and the entire team was in high spirits due to their victory. Usually, the team celebrated their victory with a nice round of beer and the captain treating them to dinner, but it seemed he had other plans.

“Oikawa-senpai! This is the third time in a row you’ve skipped out on us!” Lev admonished, pointing an accusing finger at the brunet who was currently zipping up his coat and getting ready to leave. “What kind of captain doesn’t come drinking with his team after a win?!”

Shouldering his bag, Oikawa winked and flashed him a peace sign. “I’ll go next time, I promise.”

“That’s what you said last time!”

Over on the other side of the locker room, Aone, another middle blocker, nodded solemnly in agreement. “It’s true.”

Oikawa let out an honest laugh before waving a hand apologetically. “You guys think too much!” Taking out his earphones and unraveling them, he straightened out the wires before putting them into his ears, signaling that he was leaving both the gym and the conversation. “Remember, practice is on Monday at 10:00 AM!” Chuckling a little to himself, Oikawa ignored their calls for him and hummed along to the song playing in his ears as he made his way towards the parking garage beside the gymnasium.

Absentmindedly twirling his car keys, Oikawa took the time to think back to the game they had just won as he made his way to his car. _“I was right; switching Hinata for Aone was the right move in today’s game. When he and Lev rotated to vanguard, we had the highest block possible. That wall will do well against Australia in a couple of weeks.”_ Mentally replaying the game in his head, he visualized an Australian spiker getting ready to attack while his middle blockers jumped in unison, tightening their arms for the block. He removed an earbud and got into his car, firing up the engine as soon as he buckled in. _“Chibi-chan is quick, he can hit from the outside and combo with Tobio-chan as well…”_ With one hand on the steering wheel, he drove in moderate silence, absentmindedly tapping his fingers.

The setter allowed his quiet musings to accompany him home and as he neared his front door, he was met with an amusing sight. Various gifts ranging from small presents, to cutely wrapped milkbread, to flowers was waiting for him at home. Usually after every game, his manager would swing by his place and deliver all the gifts from his fans. He always accepted them of course, extremely humbled by the praise and support from his fans. Oikawa liked to joke with his friends that he didn’t need air fresheners or things like that because all the flowers people sent him kept his apartment smelling clean and fresh. He took his time moving things inside and made sure to deposit them all in their designated areas: milkbread in the kitchen, presents by the living room, and flowers on the counter.

As he was cleaning up, he noticed something interesting. “What’s this?” Oikawa questioned, eyes zeroing in on one particular bouquet of flowers. It was a set of ten roses; the majority, a deep, rich, burgundy. Of the ten however, there was one that stood out from the rest. It was a white rose, one that immediately drew his attention, and it was absolutely beautiful. It seemed so out of place compared to the others but that just made it all the more special. He took the flower into his hands, mindful of the thorns, and studied it quietly. Although it was a nice gesture from one of his fans, he couldn’t deny apprehensive he felt. Slowly turning the flower from left to right, he frowned, his brows furrowing once more. In a last-ditch effort, Oikawa looked for a card, a name, anything that would suggest who it was from, but there was none.

“Why is there only one?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, the mystery _really_ begins...
> 
> It's like 12% edited lmao I'm tired, goodnight.


	3. Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m going to find you,” Iwaizumi vowed, fully facing the window where he knew the fucker could see him. Raising his right arm and pointing the gun’s muzzle directly to the window, his finger hovered over the trigger as a challenging smirk laced his lips. “You want to play games, is that it? Why don’t you come out already instead of hiding in the shadows like a goddamn coward? Do you really think we won’t find you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the month long wait? I had a really hard time writing this for some reason even though I knew exactly what was going to happen in this chapter. I feel like I'm losing my muse a bit when it comes to Haikyuu!! fics because it's just been increasingly harder and harder for me to write but alas, I will do the best that I can. As always, this is for [@oiivkawa](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com), my lovely partner in crime. Make sure to read and comment on her awesome fics, okay? I'm super behind but [Coffee King](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10721739/chapters/23756658) and [Ride or Die](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11621877/chapters/26131707) are absolute masterpieces ♡
> 
> Also don't mind me casually replying to reviews a month late LOL

“Are we done here, Kuroo-san? I have work to do.”

Chuckling under his breath, Kuroo gave Tsukishima a nod and uncrossed his arms. “I’ll let you get back to it then,” he replied back. He made a move to turn around but not before placing his hand on top of Tsukishima’s head and carding his fingers through it. Although slightly rough from years of volleyball, he gently caressed those blond locks of hair, lingering ever so slightly on the curve of Tsukishima’s neck as he walked away towards his office. “Work hard,” Kuroo encouraged, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tsukishima didn’t reply, choosing to ignore him, but the rosy color in his cheeks said otherwise. Reaching up to cover his mouth with the back of his fist, the intern looked over his shoulder to watch his superior leave. Tsukishima liked to think he was rather intelligent for someone his age. He took college preparatory classes in high school, graduated with honors, and was always at the top of his class. He was a man of science and mathematics; always eager and ready to learn more, but all the knowledge in the world could have never prepared him for the man before him. His superior was something of a mystery that Tsukishima could never seem to crack.

With his tall yet muscular frame, Kuroo was undeniably handsome and imposing all at the same time. His black hair was messy in all the right places with bangs that swept over the right side of his face and although the bangs did well to cover them, anyone with eyes could see the intelligence behind those amber eyes. The pathologist seemed to always hold himself so confidently that it made Tsukishima wish even a fraction of it could be rubbed of him. _“What do I have to do to be a guy like that?”_ He’d always find himself wondering.

Kuroo was brilliant – beautiful and perfect all at the same time – but unreachable.

Time and time again, Tsukishima had to remind himself that it wasn’t professional for him to be thinking of his superior that way. _“I’m his intern,”_ his rational mind would say, all those fleeting thoughts leaving him as quickly as they came. It was easier to ignore his crush in the beginning but after working alongside Kuroo for so many months, Tsukishima couldn’t deny how his heart burned at every little word of praise the older man offered him.

A part of him liked to think that he was incredibly perceptive for someone who hated social gatherings. Sure, there were times when he couldn’t exactly read the mood but he knew it wasn’t his imagination (or wishful thinking) that Kuroo’s eyes seem to linger on him longer than anyone else’s before he left the room. It wasn’t his imagination that Kuroo looked at him differently following their nights together at the lab. Back then, Tsukishima couldn’t quite articulate what that _something_ was but there was definitely and undeniably a _something_ between them.

When those months of working together became years by each other’s side, genuine feelings of friendship replaced that somewhat childish crush of his. Their relationship changed then; Kuroo teased him mercilessly and encouraged him just as strongly, but there was a fondness in his eyes that left Tsukishima feeling loved.

It happened in increments, little moments here and there, but steadily and surely, both he and Kuroo started to dance. At night when the moon was high and the musky smell of freshly-cleaned bones surrounded them, Tsukishima learned how loudly silence spoke. He liked to think that Kuroo was somehow suffering too, that those little intimate touches he initiated actually meant something.

 _“Don’t stay up too late,”_ Kuroo often told him on the occasional nights that Tsukishima stayed after.

It sounded more like a confession than anything else.

The thought that Kuroo may be in love with him too made him happy but although they danced and danced, it was always a lonely night. They danced together often, their feelings for one another mutual and true, but that’s all it ever seemed to be. Just a dance that neither one of them would lead.

Returning his attention back to the screen before him, Tsukishima exhaled slowly, practically willing the blush in his cheeks to go away so Kuroo wouldn’t see it. _“Maybe one day we’ll say something,”_ the blond thought. _“But today is not that day.”_

Waltzes were slow after all.

 

* * *

 

With a hardened, but calculating expression on his face, Sawamura crossed his arms smugly. There were heavy bags under his eyes, a sign of little to no sleep. He was tired and exhausted, that much was sure, but sleepless nights were part of the deal for a job like this. The interrogator was never one to complain because despite all that, Sawamura genuinely loved his job. He was first and foremost, a man of justice, and wanted nothing more than to bring people to said justice, but it was mornings like this that made him wonder if he should have gotten an office job like his parents wanted.

He and Sugawara had stayed up all night reviewing the archived footage and tapes in preparation for the beginning of a long series of interviews. Just as Iwaizumi had ordered, follow-up interviews needed to be conducted so that it matched what they originally had on record from several years ago. Shimizu and Yachi contacted the second victim, Yuhara Misao, and had her come in today for questioning.

Sawamura stood before the two-way mirror that connected both the interrogation room and its adjacent counterpart, the observation room. From his place in the observation room, he could see easily watch and study the exchanges made whilst in that room. While it was true that Sugawara was more perceptive than he was, he still did his part to regard people intently. They were after all, partners, and had known one another for years. The things he didn’t pick up on, Sugawara did, and the things Sugawara couldn’t, he did. They trusted each other with their lives; even now, Sawamura could hear the comforting sounds of his partner’s voice as it poured through the speakers.

“ _My name is Sugawara,”_ the interrogator introduced. _“I’m with the TMPD. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions concerning your kidnapping from four years ago. Anything and everything you say will be documented so please try not to leave anything out. I realize that you may not remember everything that happened but try to be as thorough as you can.”_

Yuhara shifted somewhat uncomfortably before nodding a little. Inhaling deeply, she briefly closed her eyes in an attempt to gather herself together. After a few seconds, she exhaled just as deeply before reopening her eyes, a crinkle in her brows. _“I’ll try my best but you’re right, I don’t remember too much. I know it happened on a Thursday when I was out with my friends but my memories from that night are so hazy.”_

 _“Were they any particular smells that stood out to you? Sounds or noises, maybe?”_ Sugawara asked.

Listening intently as the victim started trudging through her memories, Sawamura frowned once more. There were lapses in her explanations, even periods of blackouts, but she was trying her best and that was honestly all he wanted. He could see that she was trying to wrack her brain for answers to Sugawara’s questions but he was starting to get the feeling that she might have unconsciously repressed her memories from the kidnapping. There was a knock on the door just then and Sawamura straightened his form, looking towards it expectantly. “Come in,” he said.

“Hey Sawamura,” Iwaizumi greeted, closing the door to the interrogation room behind him with a soft click. At the welcomed nod, he walked forward and came to stand beside his friend, their shoulders practically touching. “Any luck with the victim?”

The shorter man took another look at Sugawara and Yuhara before shaking his head in reply. “Some of what she says lines up with what we have on record but from what I can tell, she’s forgotten a lot of it as well. I have a feeling she’s repressed some of those memories but I can’t exactly blame her for that.” Studying her intently, he watched as her hand came to grip at her left shoulder, her thumb brushing against her collarbone.

Iwaizumi’s eyes seemed to soften at that, his words sympathetic. “I can understand that.”

"How are Tsukishima and Kuroo coming along with the analysis?" Sawamura asked, changing the subject. “I’m sure they must have found something, right?” Over on the other side of the glass, Sugawara was showing Yuhara photos from the location where she was found, pointing at certain aspects of it in an attempt to jog her memory. "I passed by the lab on the way here and heard them bickering over some of the case files but I wasn’t sure what they were talking about. It all sounded like jargon to me anyway.”

"I'll have to swing by later," Iwaizumi replied. “The last time I spoke to Kuroo, he told me he and Tsukishima were still analyzing the particulates from the victims’ clothing. It seems the team before us were sloppy as hell and didn’t even bother following up with any of their leads once the trail ran cold. Kuroo said that in addition to the engine exhaust they found on their clothing, there was also a substantial amount of dirt that the previous squad didn’t try to source.”

Sawamura frowned in dismay. “There’s also the matter of us needing to find out how the victims were subdued. I don’t remember reading anything about it in the case files and it doesn’t seem like Yuhara remembers anything either.” Rather than allow himself to feel like it was a lost cause however, he opted for another approach. “We should interview the parents that were involved, maybe see if there’s a trail we can follow up on. There has to be records of the calls somewhere, right?”

“Hopefully,” Iwaizumi said, his voice slightly grim. “We’ve at least made some progress but all we’ve been doing up until this point has been cleaning up after their mess.”

Sawamura let out a chuckle and shook his head. “It’s not like we aren’t equipped to do so,” he joked. Turning his attention away from Sugawara and Yuhara briefly, the shorter man clapped a hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, and squeezed it comfortingly. “You recruited us to be in your team because you believed in us and thought we were the best of the best.”

Leaning down to cross his arms over the top of the chair in front of him, Iwaizumi echoed Sawamura’s laugh with one of his own. “We’re the ultimate team,” he agreed easily. Allowing himself to take the time to study the interactions before him, Iwaizumi fell into a companionable silence and listened in on Sugawara’s interview. Sawamura definitely wasn’t wrong when he said that it seemed as though Yuhara had repressed most of her memories.

She often reiterated the blank periods; moments where she wasn’t sure what was happening.  She explained that although consciously, she knew something wasn’t right, she couldn’t exactly pinpoint her surroundings. _“I remember feeling locked up? I couldn’t move my body and I just remember my shoulder hurting. Everything happened so fast; I couldn’t even react in time. It was like something I’ve never experienced before in my life.”_

As Yuhara spoke, her hand came to grip at her shoulder again, and Iwaizumi could only deduce that she developed the habit unconsciously. “Poor girl,” he sympathized.

 _“It’s okay,”_ Sugawara said. _“You’re doing great.”_ Making sure to soothe the victim was always one of Sugawara’s good points. There was just something about him that put others to ease. It didn’t matter what kind of victim or criminal they were dealing with, just one conversation with Sugawara made them open up to him. He had always been analytical and patient, his perceptiveness giving him the advantage. _“You’re being so helpful right now, Yuhara-san.”_ He made sure to remind her again.

A somewhat fond smile made its way onto Sawamura’s face as he watched his partner. “Suga certainly has a way with people, doesn’t he?” Although he had been working as an interrogator for years, it was Sugawara who always knew how to connect with people. Sure, he could be just as intimidating as Sawamura himself, but it was Sugawara who worked well under pressure.

The two conversed for another ten minutes before Sugawara decided to call it for the day, not wanting to dampen Yuhara’s spirits or her day. _“Thank you for coming in and talking with me, Yuhara-san,”_ Sugawara said, standing up to shake her hand. _“I gave you my information earlier so don’t hesitate to call me if you need to, okay? Here, let me walk you up front.”_

Iwaizumi straightened his form and stood to his full height as he watched Sugawara lead Yuhara out. “Who’s coming in tomorrow? The Nakano twins, right?” At his friend’s nod, Iwaizumi hummed, his eyes never leaving Yuhara. She was polite as she accepted his thanks, but her hand went to grip at her shoulder again. Whether it was a nervous tick or some form of PTSD she developed from her kidnapping, Iwaizumi had a twisting feeling in his gut that there was something _more_ to it that warranted investigation. “Hey Sawamura,” the detective called, frowning in dismay. “She said she remembered feeling ‘locked up’, right? What do you think could have caused that?”

“Drugs, probably? I mean, it’s not like this is the first time we’ve had a case of criminals using drugs to incapacitate their victims.”

Focusing all of his attention on her, Iwaizumi’s eyes zeroed in on the back of her shoulder. Although slightly hidden by her shirt, he could see blemishes of discolored skin, almost like the remnants of a scar or birthmark that she tried to hide. Tilting his head slightly as he moved forward even more, the detective studied that bit of skin intensely before he reared back and his features darkened dangerously.

“What’s wrong?” Sawamura asked, stepping forward. When his friend didn’t reply, the interrogator lifted a hand to place it on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, squeezing it cautiously. “Iwaizumi?”

He was silent before, “That girl has two puncture wounds and burns on the back of her shoulder.”

 

* * *

 

Oikawa let out a content sigh as he leaned back against the porcelain incline of his tub and rested his head on the folded towels. It had been a long day of practice but the brunet was glad to finally be home. He usually never minded practice, he was the captain of course, and saw it as a way to train and increase the strength of his team, but dealing with his teammates’ antics would drain anyone of their energy.

Chibi-chan and Tobio were practicing their combos until something apparently happened between them and they started going at it, kicking and punching each other. Thankfully Aone, who had been close by, intervened and ultimately pushed them away from one another. Oikawa was on the other side of the court practicing his serves when he noticed the commotion but shrugged it off, trusting his middle blocker to deal with the two.

“ _Those two have too much energy_ ,” Oikawa thought.

Despite their antics, the freakish duo were great assets to the team and Oikawa was glad to have them. _“I’ll have to make use of their godlike-quick in next week’s game against Australia.”_

Sinking even lower into the depths of his bathtub, the brunet closed his eyes tiredly, the warm water practically lulling him to sleep. _“This is nice,”_ he practically sighed out. Oikawa was just about to submerged himself fully underwater when the front door to his apartment swung open and in came Hanamaki and Matsukawa, his childhood friends.

“Oikawa!” Hanamaki shouted. “We come baring gifts!” To further support his claim, Hanamaki showed off the various fan mail and presents from Oikawa’s supporters. “Get out of the bath so we can go get some ramen!”

 _“And there goes my moment of peace,”_ Oikawa mentally groaned, regretfully opening his eyes. Instinctively reaching for the towel beside him, he stood up and wrapped it around his waist, seemingly used to his friends barging in without permission. “Quit yelling already! I’m coming!” He quickly dried off and threw on a comfortable set of joggers and a loose-fitting shirt before going out to greet his friends.

Matsukawa grinned easily at the sight of Oikawa’s hair. “What, no ‘welcome home’?”

“You guys don’t even live here,” the brunet argued back. “You just come in unannounced and make me treat you guys to ramen.” As somewhat annoyed as he was, Hanamaki and Matsukawa were still his best friends and Oikawa wouldn’t trade them for all the money in the world so it’s not like he could ever truly be mad at them. Oikawa crossed his arms and raised a brow as he watched Hanamaki sift through his stuff. “Enjoying yourself there, Makki?”

“Always,” Hanamaki said. “This is very therapeutic for me.” Digging through Oikawa’s presents had been one of his favorite pastimes ever since his friend went pro. Being Oikawa’s best friend definitely had its perks; one of them being that Oikawa had a dedicated fan who always sent him baked goods from their family’s bakery. Spying the cutely wrapped package of creampuffs, Hanamaki let out a loud _“Hell yeah!”_ and pointed at his boyfriend. “Issei! Get me some scissors!”

Shaking his head at them, Oikawa chuckled a little before moving towards the pile of gifts his friends brought in. They must have intercepted his manger somehow and delivered them all themselves just to mess around with him. _“Idiots,”_ the setter thought amusingly. He was just about to join them when a knock sounded behind him and it made all three of them look up. Oikawa was the one to answer it and when he opened the front door, a flowery scent entered his nose.

“Oikawa-san?” It was a member of the apartment staff and he was carrying a bouquet of roses. “This just came in a bit ago.”

Graciously accepting the flowers, Oikawa thanked him with a smile and bowed his head a little. “Thank you, Uchiyama-kun! Here’s something for your troubles.” Tipping him, the brunet sent him off with another radiant smile and waved before shutting the door behind him. “I wonder who these could be from.”

“Is there a name?” Hanamaki asked, his words coming out slightly muffled due to the creampuffs he was currently still chewing.

Looking over at Oikawa, Matsukawa hummed, eyes searching for a card. “It doesn’t look like it. Maybe Oikawa has a secret admirer.”

Oikawa on the other hand didn’t reply, but his fingers did tense if ever so slightly. Just like yesterday, someone had mysteriously sent him a bouquet of red and white roses. There was no note or a name or anything to suggest it came from someone he knew but as he looked at it closely, Oikawa felt that familiar sense of apprehension creep up over him again. There wasn’t just a single, white rose this time.

No, this time, there were _two_ white roses.

 

* * *

 

Sprawled out over the entire length of the couch with an arm cradled underneath his head, Iwaizumi hummed absentmindedly to music softly playing from his phone. He had always been a fan of soft rock but there was something about jazz that he could appreciate. The sounds of pianos and violins danced about in his ears, playing a song of nostalgia and acceptance.

It was a quiet night, but a solitary one. He and Kuroo usually came home together, being both roommates and co-workers, but Iwaizumi oddly found himself alone tonight. He wasn’t worried or anything like that. It wasn’t strange for any of them to come home later than usual because after all, with a job like this, anything could happen. Iwaizumi couldn’t count the amount of times Kuroo had spent sleepless nights in the lab or he, himself didn’t come home for several days because of a possible lead.

Iwaizumi looked over to the right and frowned upon seeing the time. It was nearing one in the morning and yet Kuroo still hadn’t come home. It was strange that Kuroo hadn’t called or texted him anything. An update would have been nice at least. Rolling over to reach for his phone, he unlocked it, and began thumbing through his texts. After a few seconds, he frowned. “Nope, still nothing,” he concluded. “Maybe he fell asleep at the lab?”

That could very well be a possibility.

Trusting that he’d either see Kuroo at work tomorrow or he’d wake up to a text, Iwaizumi shrugged and placed his phone back on the table. Picking up his abandoned case files from earlier, Iwaizumi opened it, and stared long and hard at the picture of Sozen. It was a picture of him at the park and he was standing at the very top of a slide. With a proud grin on his face, his right hand was slightly blurry due to his enthusiastic waving. Dressed in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt with an airplane on it, he was fucking adorable. Sozen even had on a red hat and wore it backwards, a little bit of his hair peeking out from above the strap. “You would have been twelve this year, huh? Practically almost a teenager.” It was probably morbid of him to do so, but talking to Sozen honestly helped his grief.

Iwaizumi’s phone vibrated just then, immediately drawing his attention towards it. He reached for it quickly, hoping that it might have been Kuroo with some sort of update, but the very moment he felt the plastic against his skin, a shrill screech pierced through the air as his phone started to short-circuit. Flinching almost immediately, Iwaizumi’s hands flew to cover his ears, the noise practically clawing at his insides. _“Shut it off! Shut it off!”_ He recoiled against the disturbing sound, but knew he had to do something to stop it. The detective braced himself and reached underneath the coffee table, grabbing for the hidden Glock pistol.

As fast as lightning, he quickly turned off the safety, cocked it, and lined up the shot, firing it with precise aim and precision. Shattering the screen and effectively cancelling out the noise from his phone, Iwaizumi panted slightly, his brows turned down in displeasure as the smell of dusty smoke entered his nostrils. He lowered his firing arm and was just about to go and investigate when the phone lit up once more.

“ **23 1 20 1 19 8 9 20 1 3 8 9    23 1    19 8 9 20 20 5    9 16 1 19 21** ,” it started to chime, almost sounding like some computer-generated voice. “ **23 1 20 1 19 8 9 20 1 3 8 9    23 1    19 8 9 20 20 5    9 16 1 19 21**.” The phone then started to repeat that strange sequence of numbers, looping over and over again. “ **23 1 20 1 19 8 9 20 1 3 8 9    23 1    19 8 9 20 20 5    9 16 1 19 21**.”

Scrambling for a pen and paper, Iwaizumi hurriedly began writing down the numbers he was hearing with his left hand, parroting them back in his mind. “ _23, 1, 20, 1, 19, 8, 9, 20, 1, 3, 8, 9…_ ” He didn’t even bother to write them down neatly because of the looming thoughts in his head that the phone could short-circuit again and shut down for good. His right hand was still holding onto the pistol tightly, loaded and ready if need be, but after maybe a minute or so, the phone went quiet.

Amongst the whizzing and crackling of his phone, Iwaizumi found himself alone once more. Knowing it was probably due to a dead battery, he exhaled slowly, focusing his attention elsewhere. Darting his eyes from left to right, he scanned his surroundings before ultimately zeroing in on the window to his left. Although the blinds were down and the curtains were pulled together tight enough to effectively hide him from the public eye, the detective knew someone had to have been watching him. He wasn’t an idiot; he had been chasing criminals long enough to know when someone was watching him but it wasn’t being monitored that pissed Iwaizumi off. No, if anything, it was the fact that someone was _playing_ with him that made him see red.

“I’m going to find you,” Iwaizumi vowed, fully facing the window where he knew the fucker could see him. Raising his right arm and pointing the gun’s muzzle directly to the window, his finger hovered over the trigger as a challenging smirk laced his lips. “You want to play games, is that it? Why don’t you come out already instead of hiding in the shadows like a goddamn coward? Do you really think we won’t find you?”

Knowing that they must have stumbled onto something huge for the asshole to make his presence known, Iwaizumi was confident that they were getting closer and closer to unraveling the mystery.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you decipher the code? (✿◠‿◠)

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated!
> 
> tumblr: [@serviceace](http://serviceace.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@aominaes](http://twitter.com/aominaes)  
> iwaoi blog [@dailyoiiwa](http://dailyoiiwa.tumblr.com)  
> 


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